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2021 Las Vegas Raiders - PLAYOFFS!!!! (2 Viewers)

DocHolliday said:
Jacobs and Crosby are good but are not studs.  I think you are exaggerating.   Mullen, Abram, and Arnette are not promising.   
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Maybe, and I'll give you that. They are studs in my mind. Love everything about Jacobs (except the alleged DUI) - kid runs with the heart of a lion and constantly fights with two B2B 1K seasons. Crosby is far from elite but love his motor and he's faced double-teams and still kept up stat-wise with your boy Bosa and Quinnen and others I imagine you would call studs.

You heap criticism on the cruddy drafting but you completely ignore the fact that Jacobs has absolutely jsutified his draft spot, and the extraordinary value of finding a guy like Crosby in the late rounds. Or a diamond like Waller off the wire. 

SDJohnny said:
Speaking of Interior help, why isn't there any chatter regarding Leonard Williams? He's a DT with 11.5 sacks and 30 QB pressures this year. Would go a long way in helping out Cle and Maxx.
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100%. And plenty of OLBs -- Judon, Bud Dupree, Shaq Barrett -- who would be huge to help out our middle. 

I think we need to draft BPA at D, but the way to get us where we want to next year is through a key FA signing or two.

Imagine if we landed two of Allen Robinson/Clowney/Ngakoue/Williams. Not sure we have tons of cap space unless we're good letting go of some of our current talent, but getting proven talent at the right price, lured by an income tax-free state? 

That would be gold, Jerry.

 
Crosby was an excellent draft selection.   Waller is the second best TE in the NFL.   He is a true stud.  Jacobs is good.   The DUI was stupid but many of us made big mistakes in our early 20s   I’m glad he didn’t hurt or kill anyone and hope he learned a valuable lesson..   

Tom, it is only fair that I agree with you on those points and don’t want to only bring up the negative or my disagreements.   I still think the last draft was a big fail so far.   It’s early but it looks bad after one season of play.  

 
Gr00vus said:
He is a good dude, but HC is not the right role for him.

I just looked at where the Raider D ended the year, I guess Bradley would be an improvement. It just got real frustrating watching the defensive playcalls get predictably conservative when the Chargers got ahead, with the inevitable catch up by the opposing team making what should have been comfortable wins into nail biters or outright losses. I'll be happy to see him go - unless /until the Chargers get someone even worse.
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Well... at least his players weren't lost on the field.

 
SDJohnny said:
Speaking of Interior help, why isn't there any chatter regarding Leonard Williams? He's a DT with 11.5 sacks and 30 QB pressures this year. Would go a long way in helping out Cle and Maxx.
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We are tight cap space wise. Would need to make some cuts to clear space. Some cuts are coming but enough to sign him? I don't know. Maybe we get a no tax boost. 

 
Chadstroma said:
We are tight cap space wise. Would need to make some cuts to clear space. Some cuts are coming but enough to sign him? I don't know. Maybe we get a no tax boost. 
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There's a lot of "talent" we can lose to get under the cap.  Getting rid of T. Williams (remember him?),  Joyner, and Mariota  ($10mil is too much for a backup) gets us under the cap by 22 million.

https://overthecap.com/calculator/las-vegas-raiders/ 

Cut Nassib and Incognito and we're under 32 million.  Trent Brown  has no guaranteed money left of his contract, he should be willing to restructure his $14 million dollar cap number.  I'd put the screws to Jalen Richard too, he's not worth 3.5 million per year. 

Re: Littleton-I saw some hope for next year. He seemed a lot more active the last Three games. 

I agree with the assessment below; 

https://raiderswire.usatoday.com/2021/01/04/winners-and-losers-for-raiders-in-week-17-vs-broncos/

Winner: LB Cory Littleton

Cory Littleton has been struggling for most of this season after returning to back to back seasons where he played stout for the Rams. The Raiders were expecting that play, but instead, Littleton has missed tackles and not played well in coverage. This week we saw the Littleton we wanted to see since the season started.

Littleton has played better the past few weeks and displayed his ability as a linebacker. He was stout in coverage against the Broncos, helping keep their offense from reaching first down on third and shorts. He finished the game with six tackles and didn’t miss one on the day.

He can be a good player for the Raiders if they pick the right defensive coordinator. It will be seen what direction they go, but Littleton has a chance to piece this defense for the next few seasons.

 
DocHolliday said:
I still think the last draft was a big fail so far.   It’s early but it looks bad after one season of play.  
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We can definitely agree that we're both disappointed that we didn't see more production from this draft.

I think the bigger disappointment is from our FA signings.

These guys are absolutely expected to make a contribution on day one -- rookies (at least from me) warrant some degree of patience (even more so in a COVID-impacted preseason). FAs don't get that luxury from me -- they need to produce, period.

Another thing to consider in terms of patience -- here are our draft picks the last two years:

2020: Ruggs, Arnette, Bowden, Edwards, Muse, Simpson, Robertson

2019: Ferrell, Jacobs, Abram, Mullen, Crosby, Johnson, Moreau, Renfrow, Bell

Out of these, a full 9 of these players (Ruggs, Arnette, Edwards, Ferrell, Jacobs, Abram, Mullen, Crosby, Renfrow) are full time starters. 4  or so with injuries that kept them out for multiple games.

Another 3 (Simpson, Robertson, Moreau) are key rotational depth. Simpson played decently this year for a guy thrown into that situation as a 4th rounder, Moreau is a solid blocker and pass catcher (and a decent red zone target), and we only saw what Robertson and Johnson brought to the table in a couple of games.

Muse was out the entire year so not sure what we have there in terms of slotting him in as a LB/spy.

Bowden and Bell were busts.

So 72% of our draft class in the last two years are full time starters or have significant depth roles. 11% flamed out.

Main point being this:

We have a very young team we are asking to do a lot in their first or second years. I don't know how that stacks up against other teams, but I imagine we are among the top (if not the top) teams in terms of # of rookie/2nd year starters.

Year 3 of a complete rebuild, and we've progressed every year. We want and expect more, but I think that's impressive.

 
Sarlakticacid said:
Pretty tired of hearing about that last few draft classes. Who is tickling your fancy for this year’s draft?
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Defense.   Defense.  Defense.   Since there are so many holes on that side of the ball there is no need to reach for a DE or CB again.   Just go BPA and go with the consensus BPA.   Gruden needs to avoid going with his thoughts. 

 
Sarlakticacid said:
Pretty tired of hearing about that last few draft classes. Who is tickling your fancy for this year’s draft?
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Love that question myself -- I threw out some names but really don't have deep knowledge about these prospects.

Would love opinion on who we should be targeting in terms of guys who would be feasibly there for us at our draft slots.

I personally think we need to fill some key gaps at DT and LB, as well as a veteran CB/S ASAP, and we should do that via FA. 

But I do like what I see from Mayock/Gruden's ability to find diamonds in later rounds, so I think they can bring in one or two guys who can develop into studs. They need a DC who is known for developing talent, for sure.

 
Gabe Jackson named 2020 Ed Block Courage Award recipient

Jan 01, 2021 at 10:45 AM

HENDERSON, Nev. – Las Vegas Raiders G Gabe Jackson has been selected as the Silver and Black's 2020 Ed Block Courage Award recipient. The Ed Block Courage Award is presented to the player who exemplifies a commitment to the principles of sportsmanship and courage. Additionally, the award recognizes a player's efforts on and off the field, as well as their ability to overcome great adversity. The recipient is selected by a vote of his teammates.

Jackson has played in 99 NFL regular season contests and joins center Rodney Hudson as only two starting offensive linemen that have played in all 15 games for the Raiders so far this season. He has been entrenched as a starter at left, then right guard since his rookie year in 2014 and has overcome numerous injuries during his seven years with the Raiders. Jackson was the Raiders' third round pick in the 2014 NFL Draft out of Mississippi State, where he was a four-year starter. The Liberty, Mississippi native played for his father in high school.

The Ed Block Courage Award annually honors one player from each NFL team. The award has become one of the most esteemed honors bestowed upon a player in the NFL, primarily because his selection is based upon a vote of his peers. The Ed Block Courage Award is named in honor of Ed Block, the longtime head athletic trainer of the Baltimore Colts who was a pioneer in his profession and a respected humanitarian. In 1989, the Ed Block Courage Award Foundation formulated the Courage House National Support Network for Kids.

 
Darren Waller receives Craig Long Award

Dec 31, 2020 at 10:45 AM

HENDERSON, Nev. – Las Vegas Raiders TE Darren Waller was named the recipient of the seventh annual Craig Long Award Thursday, becoming the award's first two-time honoree. 

Chosen by a select group of local media and facilitated by the Las Vegas Raiders' Media Relations department, the Craig Long Award is presented annually to the player who best exemplifies professionalism and collaboration with the media at large.

Waller, who was selected to his first Pro Bowl last week, enters the regular-season finale with a team-high 98 receptions for 1,079 yards and eight touchdowns. He broke Todd Christensen's 34-year-old team record for single-season receptions by a tight end last week and he also became the first Raiders tight end since Christensen to post back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons.

Waller's 98 receptions rank second on the Raiders' all-time list behind Tim Brown's 104 catches in 1997 and he enters Week 17 with the second-most receptions among NFL tight ends this season. Originally a sixth-round draft pick out of Georgia Tech by the Baltimore Ravens in 2015, Waller was signed by the Raiders from the Ravens practice squad prior to Week 13 in 2018.

Long, who passed away in 2007 at age 36, was a valuable member of the Raiders' Public Relations staff from 1997-2004. A native of Iowa, Long fulfilled his childhood dream of working in the front office for his favorite team.

Craig Long Award Winners

2020TE Darren Waller

2019TE Darren Waller

2018DE Frostee Rucker

2017RB Jalen Richard

2016T Donald Penn

2015S Charles Woodson

2014DL Antonio Smith

 
Rival Coach Could Be Favorite for Raiders Job: Insider

The Las Vegas Raiders‘ search for a new defensive coordinator has already begun and some intriguing names have emerged. The team is linked to Gus Bradley, Joe Barry, Raheem Morris and Gregg Williams. Three of those men worked for Jon Gruden in Tampa Bay over a decade ago.

According to The Athletic’s Vic Tafur, Bradley is the front-runner but Barry is in the mix.

“While Bradley is probably the front-runner for the job, the Raiders are also expected to talk to Rams linebackers coach Joe Barry. Barry is [Rod] Marinelli’s son-in-law,” Tafur wrote.

Bradley has been one of the most successful defensive coordinators in the NFL over the last decade. His Seattle Seahawks defense was so good that he eventually got a head coaching job with the Jacksonville Jaguars. When that didn’t work out, Bradley took over the Los Angeles Chargers’ defense. Under Bradley, the Chargers’ defense has finished within the top-15 in points allowed per game in three of four seasons.

Is Bradley a Good Fit?

Bradley is a really good defensive coordinator and has had a lot of success in the NFL. However, his success has come when he’s had elite talent to work with. The Seattle Seahawks defense he led from 2009 to 2012 was legendary and littered with Pro Bowlers. When Bradley went to Jacksonville, he didn’t have nearly as much talent to work with and their defense was terrible. In his four years there, his scoring defense was never better than 24th in the NFL.

He went back to being a coordinator and joined the Chargers. He once again had a lot of success there but he had great talent to work with. According to The Athletic’s Ted Nguyen, Bradley needs a “dominant” front four for his defense to work.

The Raiders might have the weakest front four in the NFL right now. Perhaps they’ve struggled because of bad coaching and Bradley could bring out the best in them. While there are some concerns with Bradley’s ability to elevate average to below-average talent, the Raiders could certainly do worse.

Morris Not in the Mix, Says Tafur

Raider fans aren’t going to want to see this but apparently, Raheem Morris might not be in the mix for the defensive coordinator job, per Tafur.

Unlike Bradley, Morris proved during his brief time as interim head coach for the Atlanta Falcons that he could elevate a defense that doesn’t have a ton of talent. After his defense shut down the Raiders’ offense, fans have been clamoring for Morris to get the defensive coordinator job. Once his defense held Patrick Mahomes to only 17 points late in the season, fans were even more adamant about him getting the job. There’s no reason to think he wouldn’t be a fit with the Raiders. He coached under Gruden before and has a strong relationship with the coach.

Perhaps he’s not interested in the gig right now but he might be the best fit of all.

 
Stompin' Tom Connors said:
Love that question myself -- I threw out some names but really don't have deep knowledge about these prospects.

Would love opinion on who we should be targeting in terms of guys who would be feasibly there for us at our draft slots.

I personally think we need to fill some key gaps at DT and LB, as well as a veteran CB/S ASAP, and we should do that via FA. 

But I do like what I see from Mayock/Gruden's ability to find diamonds in later rounds, so I think they can bring in one or two guys who can develop into studs. They need a DC who is known for developing talent, for sure.
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My level of paying attention to college waa lower than usual. I didn't even catch many Fighting Irish games even, which I normally watch most if not all their games, so I really have no clue. 

I want a playmaker on D. Someone who offensive coordinators have to gameplan for and I pretty much don't care what position that is BUT I would prefer DT. I wouldn't mind going back to DT and looking for two new guys there. S, LB, CB then DE in order of importance by need in my view un broad strokes. However, if we keep Joyner and move him to FS where I believe with a good DC and being in a better suited position he could regain his form on the level he was with the Rams before signing him. If so then move S down towards the DE level. Same could be said of Littleton. 

Of course who we cut and who we sign in FA can change that greatly. That goes for the offense too. If we make some cuts there we will need replacements either in FA or draft.

 
Raiders interview Gus Bradley, Kris Richard for defensive coordinator

Posted by Myles Simmons on January 8, 2021, 1:36 PM EST

Raiders head coach Jon Gruden said earlier this week he’d like to move quickly to hire a defensive coordinator to replace the fired Paul Guenther.

While many are still interviewing head coaching candidates, Las Vegas is now in position to get a top DC.

The Raiders have interviewed Chargers defensive coordinator Gus Bradley and former Cowboys defensive passing game coordinator/secondary coach Kris Richard, according to Vinny Bonsignore of the Las Vegas Review-Journal.

Bradley is reportedly one of the leading candidates for the job. He was Gruden’s linebackers coach from 2006-2008 in Tampa Bay. He went on to become Seattle’s defensive coordinator in 2009, parlayed that into becoming Jaguars head coach in 2013, and has been the Chargers’ DC since 2017.

Richard spent the year out of coaching after he was not retained on Mike McCarthy’s Cowboys’ staff for the 2020 season. He has not worked under Gruden in the past, but did work with Raiders’ defensive line coach Rod Marinelli from 2018-2019 in Dallas. Marinelli served as Las Vegas’ interim defensive coordinator for the last three games of the season.

Rams assistant head coach/linebackers coach Joe Barry (Marinelli’s son-in-law) and Falcons interim head coach Raheem Morris are also expected to be candidates for the job.

 
so... somehow I accidently set it up one the last thread that when there was a post it would notify me in the FBG notifications and I liked that.... now this new thread I don't have it. Anyone have any idea on how to do that on purpose?

 
Chadstroma said:
so... somehow I accidently set it up one the last thread that when there was a post it would notify me in the FBG notifications and I liked that.... now this new thread I don't have it. Anyone have any idea on how to do that on purpose?
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Click the "Follow" button at the top of the thread. 

 
getting more off-season 

What is everyone’s favorite bit or raider paraphernalia? Looking to fit out the new abode and family 

 
Some potentially interesting players for our first round pick:

Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah

Joseph Ossai

Christian Barmore - I will be watching him closely tonight.

 
Ranking the free agents for the Raiders entering the 2021 offseason

Levi Damien 

January 11, 2021 2:32 pm

Before free agency, before the draft, the Raiders will need to decide what they want to do with their players whose contracts are up. Not all free agents are created equal. So, I ranked them by priority to be re-signed.

High

WR Nelson Agholor

Several Raiders players have expressed their interest in having Agholor back next season. He had a career revival with the Raiders, shedding his reputation of dropping passes and becoming the deep threat that made him a first-round pick back in 2015. He also became the deep threat the Raiders haven’t yet gotten from their own rookie first-round pick, Henry Ruggs III. To let Agholor just use the Raiders as a springboard to a long term deal elsewhere would be a shame. 

LG Denzelle Good

Three times the Raiders have signed Good. The first was claiming him off waivers from the Colts, then two straight one-year extensions. Unless he’s been taking advice from former Raiders OL Khalif Barnes, Good probably will be looking for a long term deal this time around. If the Raiders don’t give him one, he will likely have a few other teams will to do so.

The veteran guard started 14 games this season at both right tackle and left guard. And he played well too. Especially considering he’d never even practiced at tackle only to step in at the position in the middle of the season opener. That kind of talent and versatility is a valuable commodity. A Gabe Jackson said recently “Pay the man.”

DE Takkarist McKinley

You simply don’t claim a player off waivers and place him on injured reserve the rest of the season only to let him walk in free agency. Granted, they claimed him with the hopes that he could return and help them in a playoff run. But on a team desperate for pass rushers, to let (another) one slip through their fingers would be unfortunate. Especially considering that he probably won’t be very expensive to keep, most likely looking for a one-year ‘prove-it’ deal to get back on the radar for a long term deal next offseason. No reason not to get this done.

Moderate

LB Nicholas Morrow

Morrow is a borderline high priority re-sign. The former undrafted free agent has been hanging around, showing every season that he deserves a starting spot. And yet each season the Raiders have sought to bring in someone to start ahead of him. T

his past season he proved himself to be the best linebacker on the team, despite sharing the position with two of their top free-agent additions, Nick Kwiatkoski and Cory Littleton. Those two aren’t going anywhere, so both Morrow and the Raiders have to decide whether they want him back long term.

DT Johnathan Hankins

You won’t find many better run-stopping nose tackles in the league. Two years in a row now Hankins finished in the top 13 in tackles among defensive tackles. Where he lacks is as a penetrator. He doesn’t offer much in the way of pass rush and the Raiders have to decide, first, if that matters to them from that position, and second if they want to keep Hankins in a rotation even if they do bring in another nose tackle. 

FS Erik Harris

Another season in which Harris started the majority of the games. He caught a lot more grief from fans this past season than he did in 2019 when he three passes, returning two of them for touchdowns. But that’s just how it goes. He’s still a talented safety and special teams maven. Even if the Raiders go with Johnathan Abram and Jeff Heath as the starters next season, Harris would be worth retaining, both as a spot starter and for his work on special teams.

Low

DT Maliek Collins — Collins signed on with the Raiders on a one-year prove-it deal. And he didn’t prove it. It could be worth another one-year deal, but only if it’s far cheaper base plus incentives. If he signs elsewhere, so be it. They still have Maurice Hurst.

CB Nevin Lawson — They liked Lawson enough to bring him back and make him their dime back. I could see them doing it again, but without a single career interception to his name, he isn’t exactly a game-changer.

DE Vic Beasley — He says his main issue has been his health. He had eight sacks in 2019, so it could be worth bringing him back into the fold to see if he can show them something in camp next year.

LB Raekwon McMillan — He barely saw the field most of the season, and when he did play, he didn’t play well. But the Raiders traded a fourth-round pick to get him, so would they really give up on him before the Dolphins even made that pick?

DL Chris Smith — Of the several veteran defensive linemen the Raiders signed, he was the one who showed the most promise. He was eventually signed off the practice squad to the active roster, presumably in part to keep another team from stealing him away.

QB Nathan Peterman — The Raiders will need another option while they decide what they want to do with Marcus Mariota.

RB Devontae Booker — Proved he is serviceable and worth being in the mix at the position if and until they can find a better option.

LB Kyle Wilber — Special teams captain who they have released at the cutdown deadline the past two seasons only to bring him back. 

K Daniel Carlson RFA — An original round (fifth) tender might be enough to keep him. Though a second-round tender would ensure he goes untouched by another team.

LS Trent Sieg RFA — Original round tender allows Raiders to match any offer Sieg gets. If he gets an offer from anyone else.

ERFA’s: S Dallin Leavitt, DE Kendal Vickers

Let ‘em walk

TE Derek Carrier — Never done much outside of special teams.

WR Zay Jones — Showed great chemistry with Derek Carr in the offseason and still did nothing.

RB Theo Riddick — Just not a priority at this time. If that changes, he should be available.

CB Daryl Worley — Was a ‘break glass in case of emergency’ signing this season.

TE Jason Witten — The 38-year-old should never have been signed, especially to the deal he got. Took valuable snaps away from Foster Moreau.

T Sam Young — Looks like a serviceable swing tackle when he plays. Just can’t stay healthy.

 
Stompin' Tom Connors said:
Tyreek Hill, Steve Smith, Wes Welker, and DeSean Jackson all say hi.

As Obi Wan wisely said, "Only a Broncos fan deals in absolutes."
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all 4 of those guys are stocky, tough SOB's.  hill, smith and djax, would just as soon punch the biggest dude in the face.  welker had brady throwing him 5 to 8 yard passes, 10 times a game.  djax, is the smallest of the group.

ruggs is built like a bean poll.  i fear this pick, will be yet another wasted ,raider 1st round, head scratcher.

 
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Chadstroma said:
I waa driving listening to the draft on the radio. I will never forget when I heard the selection I started punching the steering wheel I was so pissed. 
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i was dumbfounded when they picked old spice.  with lamb AND juedy, still on the board.  unreal.

 
DA RAIDERS said:
all 4 of those guys are stocky, tough SOB's.  hill, smith and djax, would just as soon punch the biggest dude in the face.  welker had brady throwing him 5 to 8 yard passes, 10 times a game.  djax, is the smallest of the group.

ruggs is built like a bean poll.  i fear this pick, will be yet another wasted ,raider 1st round, head scratcher.
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There's toughness, and there is stature/build. Very separate things, and you can't say guys like Hill aren't built similarly to Ruggs.

But we can agree that going into Year 2, Ruggs can do with both playing with more toughness in fighting for balls and through coverage, and bulk up a little (which we see a lot in players from year 1 to year 2).

 
DocHolliday said:
Defense.   Defense.  Defense.   Since there are so many holes on that side of the ball there is no need to reach for a DE or CB again.   Just go BPA and go with the consensus BPA.   Gruden needs to avoid going with his thoughts. 
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unpossible.  he will reach for his guys.  he NEEDS to be the 'smartest' guy in the room.  it's a LEAD PIPE LOCK, that gruden will take an absolute head scratcher of a pick, in the first 3 rounds. 

 
Stompin' Tom Connors said:
Love that question myself -- I threw out some names but really don't have deep knowledge about these prospects.

Would love opinion on who we should be targeting in terms of guys who would be feasibly there for us at our draft slots.

I personally think we need to fill some key gaps at DT and LB, as well as a veteran CB/S ASAP, and we should do that via FA. 

But I do like what I see from Mayock/Gruden's ability to find diamonds in later rounds, so I think they can bring in one or two guys who can develop into studs. They need a DC who is known for developing talent, for sure.
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i'm in your boat.  don't watch a ton of collage football.  but at 17, the sexy picks will probably be db, oline, lb.  i doubt a big time dline will fall.  i'd bet gruden goes oline/db. i  hate taking a ANOTHER db in the 1st

 
Stompin' Tom Connors said:
There's toughness, and there is stature/build. Very separate things, and you can't say guys like Hill aren't built similarly to Ruggs.

But we can agree that going into Year 2, Ruggs can do with both playing with more toughness in fighting for balls and through coverage, and bulk up a little (which we see a lot in players from year 1 to year 2).
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hill and ruggs are not built alike.  other than being small.  hill is a brick #### house.  ruggs is willowy

 
Stompin' Tom Connors said:
There's toughness, and there is stature/build. Very separate things, and you can't say guys like Hill aren't built similarly to Ruggs.

But we can agree that going into Year 2, Ruggs can do with both playing with more toughness in fighting for balls and through coverage, and bulk up a little (which we see a lot in players from year 1 to year 2).
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I think Hill is listed about 5 pounds heavier than Ruggs.

 
Chadstroma said:
Ranking the free agents for the Raiders entering the 2021 offseason

Levi Damien 

January 11, 2021 2:32 pm

Before free agency, before the draft, the Raiders will need to decide what they want to do with their players whose contracts are up. Not all free agents are created equal. So, I ranked them by priority to be re-signed.

High

WR Nelson Agholor

Several Raiders players have expressed their interest in having Agholor back next season. He had a career revival with the Raiders, shedding his reputation of dropping passes and becoming the deep threat that made him a first-round pick back in 2015. He also became the deep threat the Raiders haven’t yet gotten from their own rookie first-round pick, Henry Ruggs III. To let Agholor just use the Raiders as a springboard to a long term deal elsewhere would be a shame. 

LG Denzelle Good

Three times the Raiders have signed Good. The first was claiming him off waivers from the Colts, then two straight one-year extensions. Unless he’s been taking advice from former Raiders OL Khalif Barnes, Good probably will be looking for a long term deal this time around. If the Raiders don’t give him one, he will likely have a few other teams will to do so.

The veteran guard started 14 games this season at both right tackle and left guard. And he played well too. Especially considering he’d never even practiced at tackle only to step in at the position in the middle of the season opener. That kind of talent and versatility is a valuable commodity. A Gabe Jackson said recently “Pay the man.”

DE Takkarist McKinley

You simply don’t claim a player off waivers and place him on injured reserve the rest of the season only to let him walk in free agency. Granted, they claimed him with the hopes that he could return and help them in a playoff run. But on a team desperate for pass rushers, to let (another) one slip through their fingers would be unfortunate. Especially considering that he probably won’t be very expensive to keep, most likely looking for a one-year ‘prove-it’ deal to get back on the radar for a long term deal next offseason. No reason not to get this done.

Moderate

LB Nicholas Morrow

Morrow is a borderline high priority re-sign. The former undrafted free agent has been hanging around, showing every season that he deserves a starting spot. And yet each season the Raiders have sought to bring in someone to start ahead of him. T

his past season he proved himself to be the best linebacker on the team, despite sharing the position with two of their top free-agent additions, Nick Kwiatkoski and Cory Littleton. Those two aren’t going anywhere, so both Morrow and the Raiders have to decide whether they want him back long term.

DT Johnathan Hankins

You won’t find many better run-stopping nose tackles in the league. Two years in a row now Hankins finished in the top 13 in tackles among defensive tackles. Where he lacks is as a penetrator. He doesn’t offer much in the way of pass rush and the Raiders have to decide, first, if that matters to them from that position, and second if they want to keep Hankins in a rotation even if they do bring in another nose tackle. 

FS Erik Harris

Another season in which Harris started the majority of the games. He caught a lot more grief from fans this past season than he did in 2019 when he three passes, returning two of them for touchdowns. But that’s just how it goes. He’s still a talented safety and special teams maven. Even if the Raiders go with Johnathan Abram and Jeff Heath as the starters next season, Harris would be worth retaining, both as a spot starter and for his work on special teams.

Low

DT Maliek Collins — Collins signed on with the Raiders on a one-year prove-it deal. And he didn’t prove it. It could be worth another one-year deal, but only if it’s far cheaper base plus incentives. If he signs elsewhere, so be it. They still have Maurice Hurst.

CB Nevin Lawson — They liked Lawson enough to bring him back and make him their dime back. I could see them doing it again, but without a single career interception to his name, he isn’t exactly a game-changer.

DE Vic Beasley — He says his main issue has been his health. He had eight sacks in 2019, so it could be worth bringing him back into the fold to see if he can show them something in camp next year.

LB Raekwon McMillan — He barely saw the field most of the season, and when he did play, he didn’t play well. But the Raiders traded a fourth-round pick to get him, so would they really give up on him before the Dolphins even made that pick?

DL Chris Smith — Of the several veteran defensive linemen the Raiders signed, he was the one who showed the most promise. He was eventually signed off the practice squad to the active roster, presumably in part to keep another team from stealing him away.

QB Nathan Peterman — The Raiders will need another option while they decide what they want to do with Marcus Mariota.

RB Devontae Booker — Proved he is serviceable and worth being in the mix at the position if and until they can find a better option.

LB Kyle Wilber — Special teams captain who they have released at the cutdown deadline the past two seasons only to bring him back. 

K Daniel Carlson RFA — An original round (fifth) tender might be enough to keep him. Though a second-round tender would ensure he goes untouched by another team.

LS Trent Sieg RFA — Original round tender allows Raiders to match any offer Sieg gets. If he gets an offer from anyone else.

ERFA’s: S Dallin Leavitt, DE Kendal Vickers

Let ‘em walk

TE Derek Carrier — Never done much outside of special teams.

WR Zay Jones — Showed great chemistry with Derek Carr in the offseason and still did nothing.

RB Theo Riddick — Just not a priority at this time. If that changes, he should be available.

CB Daryl Worley — Was a ‘break glass in case of emergency’ signing this season.

TE Jason Witten — The 38-year-old should never have been signed, especially to the deal he got. Took valuable snaps away from Foster Moreau.

T Sam Young — Looks like a serviceable swing tackle when he plays. Just can’t stay healthy.
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Interesting takes, thanks for posting.

Not sure how McKinley is a strong sign -- we literally saw nothing from him. While true we need everyone we can at interior D-line, and should look to keep him to see what he has for us, he has to prove it first. He had a solid rookie year and second year, but a big drop off in 2019. 

I want some of the crack this guy is smoking if he thought Morrow was better than Kwiatkowski this year. I think Morrow came on in the second half of the season, but he's far from a consistent force. We badly need depth here so agree with keeping him, but if we bring in performant rookies and solid OLB FAs, Morrow could become expendable quickly. I hope he continues to progress as he did this year.

Agree on Hankins, he played solidly and like Morrow, needs to continue to improve. But despite some holes in the game, he could become a great rotational piece who can drive impact.

I don't know how I feel about Harris. Hard worker, makes some key plays, but just as often blows assignments or fails in getting to a spot to help coverage better. Ultimately I think there are much better upgrades we can -- and need -- to make here.

Disagree about Raekwon Miller -- I think he showed some promise late season when he played, and he doesn't have a lot of reps to build consistency with the teammates, as the Cromulons say, "Show us what he's got." Don't get me wrong, he's not high priority, but he adds depth at a position of need, and I don't think we can say he's expendable until a) we see what he has, and b) we sign above average starters to take his place.

Also disagree on Booker. He was super solid for us and not only deserves to be the #2, but added value in that role. I don't think we waste draft picks on RBs this year, but with Booker being 28 and Richard being 27, we should look for some UFDAs or solid guys next year to back up Jacobs. 

Leavitt and Vickers can walk too.

 
DA RAIDERS said:
unpossible.  he will reach for his guys.  he NEEDS to be the 'smartest' guy in the room.  it's a LEAD PIPE LOCK, that gruden will take an absolute head scratcher of a pick, in the first 3 rounds. 
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Gruden could have really improved this team over the last couple of years with the picks that he received for Mack and Cooper.   Instead, we still have no pass rush or WR1.  One of the player groups that really shows how poorly Gruden drafts is the secondary.  The safeties and CBs stink year after year.   

 
I was hoping for a DC that is more creative in generating pressure, but he has to be an improvement over Guenther.

 
DA RAIDERS said:
eyeball test bruh.   :D    and ruggs is listed at 1 inch taller and 3 ponds heavier.  for whatever that's worth.

hill  :lmao:   here's one with clothes

ruggs

these are fun.

player A:  5-8 203 pounds

player b  5-7 210 pounds

same size?  more or less, right?  that's barry sanders and maurice jones drew
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I don’t think Ruggs weighs 180.   He doesn’t look like it and he gets pushed around at will on the field.  When he and a CB go up for a ball and share the same space, he gets knocked out of the way.   He better hire a good trainer that can add at least 10 pounds to his frame over the next 6 months. 

 
https://www.espn.com/nfl/insider/story/_/id/30679675/2021-nfl-free-agents-get-paid-more-think-seven-players-know

Some nice names in there.  Will be very interesting to see how the reduced salary cap plays out and if any of those guys adjust their expectations.  I'd love to land 2 or 3 of the guys on that list including either Corey Davis or JJSS.  John Johnson in the secondary, yes please.

I'd also love to make a run at Bud Dupree.  Surprised he wasn't in that article.  PIT is in cap hell and won't be able to keep him and he'd be a great fit for either of two positions in Gus' 4-3.

 
ICON211 said:
I was hoping for a DC that is more creative in generating pressure, but he has to be an improvement over Guenther.
Click to expand...
I think the knock on Bradley (at least from what I know from friends who are Chargers fans and reading about him) was more about making adjustments in-game, and running more of a bend/not break D with a MO of rushing 4 and playing soft zone (4-3 with Cover 3 base), which is a fairly basic base set.

I think Bradley is competent and infinitely better than what Guenther gave us. And the Chargers D steadily improved with him. But I wonder why that Charger D -- with all the talent they had (even with Derwin James off the shelf) wasn't more dominant. With the lack of talent we have on our own D, the challenge is going to be that much greater.

I also question whether this is going to be another of Gruden's "my guy" hires or if we actually take a step towards building a Legion of Boom of our own (which Bradley did with Carroll in SEA).

Overall, a huge upgrade with proven results with the Bucs, Seahawks, Jags, and Chargers. His first stated objective is to shore up our line -- not surprising as Bradley's schemes depend on a stout front 4 rush, and an area of huge need for us to upgrade. Makes sense to start with the trenches and build from there.

We'll see.

 
Bottom line. One playoff appearance in 19 years. One winning season and a .500 campaign during that time. The two best draft picks the organization has made in that time were traded and replaced by lesser talent and unknowns. Al Davis has been gone almost 10 years and this franchise is still a comedy of errors.  We're all suckers stuck in a bad relationship. Here's to 2021 🍻 Let the insanity begin again...

 
Stompin' Tom Connors said:
I think the knock on Bradley (at least from what I know from friends who are Chargers fans and reading about him) was more about making adjustments in-game, and running more of a bend/not break D with a MO of rushing 4 and playing soft zone (4-3 with Cover 3 base), which is a fairly basic base set.

I think Bradley is competent and infinitely better than what Guenther gave us. And the Chargers D steadily improved with him. But I wonder why that Charger D -- with all the talent they had (even with Derwin James off the shelf) wasn't more dominant. With the lack of talent we have on our own D, the challenge is going to be that much greater.

I also question whether this is going to be another of Gruden's "my guy" hires or if we actually take a step towards building a Legion of Boom of our own (which Bradley did with Carroll in SEA).

Overall, a huge upgrade with proven results with the Bucs, Seahawks, Jags, and Chargers. His first stated objective is to shore up our line -- not surprising as Bradley's schemes depend on a stout front 4 rush, and an area of huge need for us to upgrade. Makes sense to start with the trenches and build from there.

We'll see.
Click to expand...
the 'my guy' thing concerns me too.  

the jags d sucked.   the chargers, haven't been much better.

as you said, we'll see.  he doesn't have much to work with atm

 
Stompin' Tom Connors said:
I think the knock on Bradley (at least from what I know from friends who are Chargers fans and reading about him) was more about making adjustments in-game, and running more of a bend/not break D with a MO of rushing 4 and playing soft zone (4-3 with Cover 3 base), which is a fairly basic base set.

I think Bradley is competent and infinitely better than what Guenther gave us. And the Chargers D steadily improved with him. But I wonder why that Charger D -- with all the talent they had (even with Derwin James off the shelf) wasn't more dominant. With the lack of talent we have on our own D, the challenge is going to be that much greater.

I also question whether this is going to be another of Gruden's "my guy" hires or if we actually take a step towards building a Legion of Boom of our own (which Bradley did with Carroll in SEA).

Overall, a huge upgrade with proven results with the Bucs, Seahawks, Jags, and Chargers. His first stated objective is to shore up our line -- not surprising as Bradley's schemes depend on a stout front 4 rush, and an area of huge need for us to upgrade. Makes sense to start with the trenches and build from there.

We'll see.
Click to expand...
The personnel is what I worry about with his approach to defense.  His defense relies on getting pressure with the front four and we know that is an area this group has struggled with.  I was hoping for a DC that would bring more guys if you can't get home with just four and he isn't that guy.  

I think the defense will be better just because guys will know their assignments, but I worry that pressuring the QB will still be a huge issue.  No one is confusing our defensive personnel with the guys he had with Seattle.

Nothing worse than long drives where the defense can't get off the field because even if the defense gets stops on first and second down the QB has all day to find receivers downfield on third down, which has basically been our defense since forever.  Last year was the worst because we had a defense that would give up those long demoralizing drives while also specializing in giving up quick strike scores.

 
ICON211 said:
The personnel is what I worry about with his approach to defense.  His defense relies on getting pressure with the front four and we know that is an area this group has struggled with.  I was hoping for a DC that would bring more guys if you can't get home with just four and he isn't that guy.  

I think the defense will be better just because guys will know their assignments, but I worry that pressuring the QB will still be a huge issue.  No one is confusing our defensive personnel with the guys he had with Seattle.

Nothing worse than long drives where the defense can't get off the field because even if the defense gets stops on first and second down the QB has all day to find receivers downfield on third down, which has basically been our defense since forever.  Last year was the worst because we had a defense that would give up those long demoralizing drives while also specializing in giving up quick strike scores.
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Who is? We need to make this happen in the draft and FA.

I am hoping we go after guys like Ngakoue/Solomon Thomas or DTa like Robertson-Harris/Butler/Rankins -- guys who are young, proven, and can give us a push up front right when we walk in the door.

Going to be an interesting offseason.

 
Stompin' Tom Connors said:
Who is? We need to make this happen in the draft and FA.

I am hoping we go after guys like Ngakoue/Solomon Thomas or DTa like Robertson-Harris/Butler/Rankins -- guys who are young, proven, and can give us a push up front right when we walk in the door.

Going to be an interesting offseason.
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There are a lot of DCs that will dial up blitzes if a four man rush is not generating pressure.  I don't see Bradley being that type of coordinator with his philosophy.  But I agree, hopefully with better personnel his scheme will work.  

 
ICON211 said:
There are a lot of DCs that will dial up blitzes if a four man rush is not generating pressure.  I don't see Bradley being that type of coordinator with his philosophy.  But I agree, hopefully with better personnel his scheme will work.  
Click to expand...
Bradley has to be an improvement.   He is in for a challenge coming to run a defense with such a lack of talent.  I hope that he is the answer.   

 
ICON211 said:
There are a lot of DCs that will dial up blitzes if a four man rush is not generating pressure.  I don't see Bradley being that type of coordinator with his philosophy.  But I agree, hopefully with better personnel his scheme will work.  
Click to expand...
Remember that Guenther was a huge blitz guy.

Bottom line is that you need the talent on the field to execute any scheme. We don't have that talent. Hopefully we start fixing that ASAP.

And you need a coordinator who can recognize what talent you have, and design both a scheme that optimizes it, and make in-game/season adjustments.

Bradley is walking into a situation where there is an urgent need to rebuild this D and fill holes quickly, so any scheme he wants to install he kind of has carte blanche to go fill out the roster and make it happen. We'll see if he can bring the same level of play he brought to other teams when he served as DC.

 
Stompin' Tom Connors said:
Remember that Guenther was a huge blitz guy.

Bottom line is that you need the talent on the field to execute any scheme. We don't have that talent. Hopefully we start fixing that ASAP.

And you need a coordinator who can recognize what talent you have, and design both a scheme that optimizes it, and make in-game/season adjustments.

Bradley is walking into a situation where there is an urgent need to rebuild this D and fill holes quickly, so any scheme he wants to install he kind of has carte blanche to go fill out the roster and make it happen. We'll see if he can bring the same level of play he brought to other teams when he served as DC.
Click to expand...
I don't recall Guenther blitzing that much.  In looking, Raiders were 26th in percentage of downs they blitzed on at 23.5% last year.  Chargers were last at 16.3%.

2019 Raiders were second to last and Chargers were last in blitz percentage.

 
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